Set Ablaze
by anniefred
Summary: AU: Set in 1920's Chicago, Klaus meets a human Caroline in a bar and decides to pursue her regardless of the consequences
1. Chapter 1

The bar was crowded and filled with a smoky haze, just like every other Saturday night since the prohibition had been introduced. A singer's voice carried over the bands instruments and the hum of voices created by the hundred or so people crowded into Gloria's.

Caroline Forbes made her way to the bar in an attempt to secure drinks for herself and her two companions, Elena Gilbert and Bonnie Bennett. Batting her eyelashes and flashing a captivating smile she quickly made her way to the front of the bar and ordered a bottle of champagne and three glasses to be delivered to the table they had managed to grab.

Making her way back to her table Caroline contemplated the double-edged sword that was her beauty. While it made life easier in some ways, ordering drinks and getting tables at bars, it left her vulnerable to approaches from the many men who wished simply to have her grace their arms. She had yet to meet a man interested in discovering more than her favourite drink, yet to meet a man that was interested in her desire to travel and escape Chicago or that wanted to understand why her parents marriage had left her so opposed to the union.

Born and raised in the windy city she had longed to escape it ever since she had leafed through a travel brochure her parents had left lying around the house when she was seven. The pictures of the far and exotic lands had kept her going throughout the poisonous years that had followed when her parent's marriage had been dissolved of any pretence. Even her friendships with her best friends Elena and Bonnie, both of who lived in the same neighbourhood and with who she was extremely close, would not have been enough.

The way her father had ruled her with an iron fist and treated her mother with a cold disdain, bordering on disgust had long since turned her against marriage, or even putting herself in any position where a man could have power over her. However her golden blonde hair, clear skin and blue eyes with a figure that was slim with curves in the right places made that easier said than done.

Walking back to her table deep in thought she failed to notice the man approaching from the opposite direction and collided with him. Losing her footing Caroline prepared to fall, however hands shot out and grabbed her arms, holding her safely against a warm, male body.

Caroline raised her head and looked at the man and was met by the bluest eyes she had ever seen. A quick study revealed the rest of the man was just as spectacular. The sandy blonde, whose hair was slightly longer than the current fashion, quirked his dark red lips that looked positively sinful at her as he noticed her appraisal.

Lifting her up slowly so that she felt his hard chest and strong legs he set her on her feet with the utmost care. Caroline felt her heart pound as she was caught in his gaze, unable to move or speak. A few scattered thoughts ran through her head, almost all of them acknowledging an instant and kind of drugging attraction to this stranger.

"I'm sorry love, please forgive me. I was not looking where I was going" the sandy blonde said with a clipped British accent. He kept his hands on her arms and was slowly moving them up and down, almost as if soothing a scared animal.

"Though I can't say I would have avoided you if I had been" he said with a smirk.

That simple line caused Caroline to tense up and realise that despite his good looks and charm he was no different from the rest. Arranging her face in a look of supreme arrogance she realised he was simply looking at her pretty packaging.

Straightening up and taking a step back, his hands dropped from her sides as he took in her expression.

"Are you that clumsy or just that desperate?" she asked him in her best high class voice, "or perhaps just both". Without waiting for an answer from the now surprised man she sashayed her way over to her table where Elena and Bonnie were deep in conversation, having missed the whole exchange. The man stared after her now looking contemplative and curious, watching her table was.

"All I'm saying is that you are eventually going to have the choose Elena, it's cruel to all of you to put it off. Stefan and Damon deserve better and you know it" Bonnie said to Elena who was looking intently down at the table, not wanting to met her friends eye. The long continuing saga of Elena and the Salvatore boys had started over two years when she was sixteen. Both wanted to marry her and she simply could not choose whom to be with, and it was starting to cause fractures in friendships that should have been unbreakable.

"I know Bonnie, it's just that as soon as I make my decision I'm going to lose one of my best friends. Maybe even two" she glanced up at Caroline as she approached, knowing that if she so much as mentioned Caroline's seventeenth birthday party her friend would walk out.

Caroline rearranged her face into a bright smile and sat at her table announcing, "the champagne is on its way!" knowing her friends would be impressed that it had taken her so little time at all to get their drinks, not including the incident with the blue eyed man with whom she had felt that almost over powering attraction that she was NOT going to let herself think about.

Almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth a waiter appeared with glasses in his hand. However looking up Caroline saw that it was not champagne in the glasses, nor was their a bottle in sight, but before she could berate the waiter for bringing the wrong order he announced to the three women,

"Your champagne is on its way, however these Bacardi cocktails from the blonde gentle in the booth over there" he pointed to a booth in direct view of theirs across the dance floor which contained the blonde man, "with his compliments" he added on. He put the drinks down and walked away.

Caroline looked away as he met her gaze and raised his glass, turning back to her friends. Bonnie and Elena looked over to Caroline a thousand and one questions burning in their eyes. Caroline sighed and decided a simple explanation would be better than an evasive approach.

"He bumped into me when I was on my way back here and caught me when I fell. He then proceeded to make a pass at me, which I turned down. My guess is that he feels bad and is trying to make up for it with these" she gestured to the drinks in front of them. Both of the girls looked at her, then Elena shrugged and pick up the free drink to sip at it, while Bonnie continued to study her more closely.

Out of Bonnie and Elena, Bonnie had always been the more perceptive one, while Elena was a little too self-absorbed in her own world to look closely at those around her. As a result it was Bonnie with whom Caroline had a closer friendship as both could only take so much on the self-created drama and nonsense that Elena invariably surrounded herself and those around her with. Caroline gave her a look that communicated to Bonnie that they could talk later, once they were by themselves.

" Lets drink up and enjoy the night shall we? I for one plan on dancing 'till I drop!" Caroline announced, picking up the cocktail and downing it in one, "where is that champagne?!".

He sat in the booth letting the frenzy of activity wash over him, contemplating his next move. It felt strange to be unsure of how to proceed, when usually he had no doubts what so ever in his mind. However, Klaus though to himself, this girl was different. Her beauty had attracted him at first, however on further study he observed a sort of light about her. He soon saw that the brightness that seemed to shine from her hid things of a darker nature that she kept well hidden from the rest of the world, and it intrigued him as to what she could be hiding.

Her reactions to him, first when he held her close and then when he sent the drinks had confirmed what the predator in him had already been contemplating: she would be his, no matter what he had to do.


	2. Chapter 2

Caroline danced well into the night, aware that her parents would have left by the time she returned in the morning, believing her to still be in bed. Never dancing with the same man twice was just one of the defence mechanisms she had in place, however as she was passed from one set of arms to another more familiar set, she felt a brief moment of panic.

Looking up into a pair of familiar blue eyes she felt almost hypnotised before she managed to pull herself together.

"Is it wise for someone as clumsy as you to be dancing?" she asked as they stood in the middle of the dance floor. The blonde man just smirked and began to whirl her around the floor in unmistakable grace and poise. So the man could dance? That didn't change the bolt of fear that went through her when she thought of her attraction to him.

He leaned closer, chuckling, and asked with a husky voice that sent shivers down her spine,

"You know love, you could at least tell me you name after the way you enjoyed the drinks I sent over". Caroline felt his cheek, littered with stubble rasp against her ear, leaving her short of breath and aching.

"It's…" she hesitated briefly, looking over at Bonnie dancing across the room, "Bonnie", refusing to meet his eye, looking fixedly over the shoulder. He pulled her slightly away and a hand went to hold her chin forcing him to look him in the eye.

"Try again love, because we both know that is not your real name" deep blue eyes held her own.

"Why should I tell you mine when I have no idea what yours is?" Caroline threw back at him, all other reasons not to tell him flying out of her head when she needed them most.

Smirking in a way that was fast becoming familiar to her, he answered,

"It's Klaus sweetheart, if you wanted to know all you had to do as ask. Now lets try this again, what is your name?"

Caroline opened her mouth to tell him when she realised that she had found something about this Klaus familiar, his smirk, and once again the old fear and anger came back and she berated herself for giving any power to this man.

Caroline pulled out of his tight, almost possessive embrace and fled out of the first door she saw, unfortunately it led to a dark alley. She contemplated whether to continue walking or return to the club, however the thought of the Klaus behind her spurred her on.

The alley smelled of garbage and other things Caroline did not want to think about, and little light shone down from the cloudy sky and surrounding walls. Suddenly two men stepped out in front of her, both dirty and smelling of cheap gin, most likely made in a bathtub.

"Well, well what this? A pretty little thing like you shouldn't be walking these parts by herself. Could run into trouble, she could," said the slightly bigger man as he started to circle her. The smaller one merely raked his gaze over her body and she wished she were wearing more than an fairly short black flapper dress.

"If you'll just excuse me I'll be on my way, time I was getting home," she said in a shaky voice and tried to move around the smaller man in front of her when she was shoved roughly against the wall of the alley. Gasping for breath she tried to run when the bigger man held her against the wall holding his body flush with hers. The stink of his clothes and alcohol nauseated her as she struggled against him, which unfortunately the man seemed to enjoy as Caroline soon felt an unmistakable bulge pushed against her. Crying out when she realised what these two men wanted to do to her she started to panic, even more so when the bigger man against her covered her mouth with his own, in an attempt to cut off her scream.

Suddenly he was gone and Caroline sagged against the wall in an attempt to regain her breath. Looking up she saw a sight that both horrified and paralysed her. Klaus stood above both men, who were now slumped on the ground, holding their hearts in his hands, a calm expression on his face. When he looked up and saw the expression on her face and way she was slumped against the wall, he dropped the hearts and quickly cleaned his hands with a handkerchief pulled from his pocket.

Approaching her he held her arms and leaned her upright against the wall gently,

"Are you alright Caroline?" he asked looking into her eyes, which were quickly descending into the blankness of shock. Caroline looked at him moving her head slightly to one side.

"How do you know my name? I didn't tell you that" came out in a small voice. Klaus chuckled and leant down closer to her,

"Did you really think I wouldn't find out the name of the most beautiful girl in the club?" Caroline simply accepted his answer with an "oh" and nodded slightly. This concerned him and he frowned, then started to check her over for injuries, when out of the blue Caroline started to speak.

"Thank you for what you did, though I don't understand how you did it. Killing them I mean… you weren't here then suddenly you were…it all happened rather suddenly… but thank you. I don't know why you did it… I wasn't very nice to you, but I can't help it you see. I had to keep you away, there's something about you that…well drugs me almost. I don't like it" Caroline rambled on the shock leading her to say things she normally wouldn't.

Klaus looked down at her, an intense look in his eyes, which caused Caroline to shiver and lean into him. However he pulled back, grimacing a little.

"Love I would like nothing more than to kiss you right now, but I do not want our first kiss to be in a alleyway while you're in shock and smelling of another man", he looked over her body, which had started to shiver, "just let me check you for injuries" and once again his hands were checking over her body.

When one went to the back of her head he froze, then slowly pulled his hand back, which was covered in her blood.

"Oh, that's not good" Caroline mumbled, Klaus however had frozen and when Caroline looked up to see why she once again collapsed against the wall, though this time in fear rather than shock.

Klaus' face had transformed, black veins were protruding from around his eyes, which themselves had become almost black, so much were the pupils dilated. Most chilling though were the fangs that were now long and sharp in his mouth. As she sucked in a long breath to try and scream his hand came over her mouth.

"Shhhhhh it's alright, it's still me. I'm not going to hurt you, I give you my word" he looked into her eyes and instantly she felt calmer. He slowly removed his hand but continued to meet her gaze. He then continued to talk.

"You did not come out into this alley, you went straight home after dancing with me, you liked me and want to see me again," he paused as if considering what to say next, "you will return to Gloria's next Saturday and search for me, and when you find me you will spend the evening with me"

Caroline nodded and started to walk home before Klaus taking her arm stopped, "You also allowed me to escort you home, where I will drop you at the door than leave you safely". Caroline nodded again and they started walking to her home after the long night which had not turned out as she had expected.


	3. Chapter 3

Bright sun was warming her face, and while this was a welcome feeling, the pounding in her head combined with a queasy stomach was not. Moving very slowly, Caroline raised her head from the pillows and surveyed the room, her dress was in a pile on the floor with one shoe by the door and another no where to be seen.

Making her way down stairs she knew she would not encounter her parents, only a maid if she was unlucky and went to the kitchen hoping some food and a drink would ease her head and calm her stomach.

Sitting down at the table to eat some toast Caroline realised that she could remember very little of what had actually happened last night, except for one thing, Klaus. Her heart turned in her chest with excitement as she remembered dancing with him and then he escorted her home safely to her door. It had been an amazing night and she hoped, no prayed, that he would be there again next weekend.

The doorbell peeled out breaking the silence that Caroline had peacefully existed in whilst eating her breakfast. A maid opened it and Caroline heard Bonnie asking if Caroline was in. The maid brought Bonnie into the room as Caroline rose to meet her.

Bonnie waited for the maid to leave the room before grabbing Caroline in a fierce hug.

"Thank god you're okay! What happened to you last night? I saw you dancing with the man who sent us drinks and then nothing! Elena and I were so worried," Bonnie searched Caroline's face for a clue as to what had happened.

Caroline groaned, realising she hadn't told Bonnie and Elena when she was leaving, their number one rule when going out.

"I'm so sorry, I was just so tired after dancing with Klaus, I literally felt like I was going to drop! Klaus brought me home," Caroline explained, finishing with a coy little grin. Bonnie raised her eyebrows in question, as she had never seen her usually cool and collected friend react this way to a man before.

"Klaus hmmmm, are you going to see him again? I don't recall ever seeing you like this about someone before"

Caroline's grin stretched across her face at the thought of seeing him again, though there was no guarantee that he would be at Gloria's next weekend. Turning to Bonnie she saw that he friend was also grinning at her.

"I don't know! I hope he's at the club next weekend but we didn't talk about it. We didn't get a chance to talk about much actually. I was so tired when we left I couldn't string so much as a sentence together!" Caroline sighed a little, "I think he liked me though, and he was so good looking!"

Bonnie laughed, glad that for once Caroline was not using her parent's relationship as an excuse to distant herself from any man who showed interest. Though Caroline never showed it, Bonnie knew that their attitude towards family had scarred her deeply and left her hurt.

"Bonnie… I don't want to be mean or anything, but can we not mention this to Elena? I just can't handle her knowing about all this, not that there's much to know at all, but still…" Caroline trailed off peering up at Bonnie with a guilty expression on her face. However Bonnie just nodded, understanding that Elena would simply take away any joy Caroline felt by turning the conversation back around to herself and that meant Damon Salvatore.

Damon Salvatore was one of the brothers currently in competition for Elena, and for a while had used Caroline very badly in an attempt to make her friend jealous. Bonnie knew that Damon had reduced Caroline's already very low self-confidence to virtually nothing due to his actions.

Caroline sighed, hating herself for the question she was about to ask, but she had to know.

"So what's the latest in that saga anyway? Last I heard she was leaning toward Stefan but still waxing on about how she could change Damon. I don't get why she can't just choose already. I mean seriously, it can't be that hard!"

Bonnie just laughed, not understanding their friend's unwillingness to make a decision either.

"Still very much the same I'm afraid, however she will lose both of them and end up alone if she doesn't choose soon, they've scared any other suitors off. She's also tearing their bond as brothers to shreds," both girls just sighed, knowing that the Gilbert-Salvatore drama would only continue.

Bonnie stood and smiled down at Caroline,

"I really should get going, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Also find out about Klaus, but that was just a bonus" Bonnie paused before she continued speaking. "I know how you feel about marriage and men's reactions to your looks, but perhaps you should give this Klaus a chance. He can't learn there's so much more to you than meets the eye unless you give him a chance. He seems to really like you from what I saw".

Caroline rose to meet her friend in a hug, murmuring in Bonnie's ear,

"You know what? I think you may just be right".

Klaus watched Caroline enter the library from across the street hidden from her view. He had been observing her for the past few days and had actually found himself surprised for the first time in countless years. While her trip to the seamstress and hat maker had not been all that intriguing, her nightly journey to her rooftop to gaze at the sky and the journey to the train station to stare at the departure board and watch the trains leave had left him confused as to who this girl really was.

He had observed human nature over his many years, and as a consequence believed he had truly seen it all. The vain, the greedy, the mean and the dishonest had contrasted against the few kind or truly good people he had seen. While most people were not completely one or the other, all had a weakness or darkness within them.

Klaus was sure that his Caroline was no exception. He had noticed that when it came to her friends she was almost completely selfless, especially towards Bonnie Bennett, however less so towards Elena Gilbert. Her level of patience was also variable depending on who and what she was dealing with, however most surprising was her attitude to any man who approached her with a notion of romance being entertained.

Klaus had watched her over the last few days deal with at least one man a day with cool, icy disdain that quickly froze their attempts to engage in any meaningful conversation and left them almost fleeing for warmer responses. This attitude contrasted to what he had seen in the past with women of similar beauty, most did not truly want their admirers to leave, merely work harder. However Caroline really did want them to leave her alone, which had led Klaus to question how feelings towards herself and the reflection she saw every day in the mirror.

The more he watched her, the less he felt able to understand her or predict her actions. Even when he followed her into the library he had started walking towards the section of trashy romance novels that he had automatically assumed a blonde like her would favour. However he paused and instead headed towards the classic section to see a blonde head turning a corner. Catching her scent he followed at a distance and ended up finding her tucked into a couch that was hidden from view by some curtains. From behind one of the many bookcases he was able to observe Caroline without her knowledge.

Caroline was totally engrossed in her book, so much so that she seemed to be shutting out the world. Klaus was a little annoyed to find that he was surprised by the title of the book she was reading, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Although when he mulled over the title Klaus realised it actually shed quite a lot of light on Caroline and her character. Like the main character of the book she wanted to be valued for her intellect not her looks, and did not like the fact the most people, men in particular, put a lot of faith in their first impression of her: a blonde beauty with not much in her head.

Armed with these vital pieces of her character Klaus was looking forward even more to the following evening, which was Saturday, and the opportunity to spend the evening with Caroline. While he now knew enough to make progress he was sure, Klaus was not sure if it would be enough to get what he wanted from his Caroline, because he wanted so very much from her and nothing less would suffice.


End file.
